Tag Archives: Dogwood Initiative

Fossil fuel companies pumped more than $5.1 million into British Columbia’s elections between 2008 and 2015. 92% of that money was given to the BC Liberal party, which was in office through-out that period. The remainder went to the leading opposition party, the New Democratic Party (NDP). A new report from the Centre for Policy Alternatives, MAPPING THE POLITICAL INFLUENCE examines the funds and lobbying data to get answers. So what do BC’s Fossil Fuel Companies Get For their Campaign Contributions?

Even Canada’s public broadcaster, the CBC, was critical of the government’s approval of Lelu Island. Environment reporter Margo McDermid called the Pacific Northwest LNG project the “first real test of the Liberal’s approach to the environment and energy.” Her colleague, Chris Hall, added that approving this project “is going to put an enormous amount of pressure on Justin Trudeau to explain how approving a project that will generate millions of tons in greenhouse gas emissions can also help them meet (the) climate change targets they agreed to in Paris.”[1. The National, January 27, 2016] Few doubt that Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister started out with good intentions. The Globe and Mail recently called Trudeau’s attempt to please environmental groups and the fossil fuel sector “mission impossible.” For many environmentalists, the honeymoon lasted for around three months. This is just the latest example of what many perceive as Trudeau selling Canada out.

As everyone expected, the National Energy Board (NEB) has recommended that the Canadian Government approve Kinder Morgan’s proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion through the most populated area of British Columbia. The NEB believes the likelihood of a major oil spill “very low,” but “the potential significance” of such a spill “very high.” Kinder Morgan would be required to post calculations of the emissions from all industrial activities and those created during construction of the 1150 km (715 miles) pipeline. If the Trudeau Government agrees and the project goes forward, the number of tankers carrying diluted bitumen out of the Greater Vancouver area could increase from 1 or 2 a week to 10. These are some of the ways BC reacts to the NEB’s pipeline recommendation.Continue reading BC Reacts To The NEB’s Pipeline Recommendation→